Caltrain Board Elects New Officers for 2006

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which runs Caltrain, elected new Board officers, at their monthly meeting.

San Jose City Councilmember Ken Yeager was chosen to serve as chair, and Jose Cisneros was elected to serve as vice chair, in a unanimous vote.

Yeager also sits on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority board, and served as JPB’s vice chair in 2005. Improving the quality of transportation and transit options in Silicon Valley is an issue he has worked on for a number of years.

As chair, Yeager says he looks forward to “building on the successes of the past, particularly the Baby Bullet service and Caltrain’s increased ridership,” as well as moving forward with other improvements, including the electrification of Caltrain and better service to Gilroy.

Since the introduction of the Baby Bullet service, Caltrain ridership has increased 29 percent, revenue has increased by 50 percent, and Caltrain service has increased from 76 to 96 trains during the regular weekdays.

“I’m looking forward to working with the new board chairman to continue the level of high-quality Caltrain service and to help guide the organization through the difficult times that face transit organizations,” said Vice Chair Cisneros, who is also San Francisco’s treasurer.

The Caltrain board has nine members, with representatives from each of the three counties through which the rail service operates – San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara. The Caltrain board meets the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, two blocks from the train station.

01/06/06